England 1966 great and Irish ‘icon’ Charlton dies

LONDON: Jack Charlton, a member of the England 1966 World Cup winning side who went on to become a cult hero as Republic of Ireland boss, has died aged 85, his family announced on Saturday.

Charlton -- elder brother of his fellow World Cup winning team-mate Bobby -- was also an integral part of the Leeds side that won the 1969 League title and the 1972 FA Cup.

English football’s governing body the Football Association (FA) said they were “devastated” by the news.

Geoff Hurst, the hat-trick hero of the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany, saluted his former England team-mate.

“Jack was the type of player and person that you need in a team to win a World Cup,” Hurst tweeted.